Why there's never been a better time to pick Windows over macOS

12 Inch Macbook Backs
12 Inch Macbook Backs (Image credit: Windows Central)

Windows 10 is developing rapidly. With every major update, it's getting more and more polish, making it better than ever. But why shouldn't you switch to macOS which is supposedly even more polished than Windows 10?

The applications

Windows 10 offers a much bigger application library than macOS. As it offers both Universal Windows Apps (UWP) from the Store, the older WinRT apps from Windows 8 and the legacy Win32 applications from Windows 7 and older, it has the biggest application library in the world, with four million legacy applications from outside the Windows Store and around 650,000 apps in the Store. In comparison, macOS only offers around thirty thousand applications inside the Mac App Store, though there are many thousands more available from the wider web. The most noticeable lack of support for macOS is in the gaming department. Looking at games inside Steam, very few support anything other than Windows, and chances are that you'll probably encounter issues with lack of apps at some point.

The computers

Surface Pro

Surface Pro

macOS may not be the weak spot for Apple's computer ecosystem. The hardware is the biggest point of contention, with pretty but expensive and lacking computers, like the new MacBook Pro which only features Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports with no backwards compatibility to standard USB without dongles. MacBooks also lack touchscreens, 2-in-1 form factors and much more. With Windows, you have a huge variety of hardware to choose from from dozens of manufacturers across many price points — Apple offers Macs in just a handful of forms and sizes.

Sure, if you really want a non-Apple macOS machine, you can "hackintosh" it, but then you're in a grey area of legality and lose a lot in terms of compatibility. The chances of getting macOS to run well on a Windows laptop are minimal.

With Windows, there are multiple form-factors and quality products like the Surface Pro or HP x360, which are incredible machines many could prefer over the MacBooks. They support new technologies like touchscreens, USB-C as well as the older USB-A and give you a good all-in-one, no-compromise package which also, more often than not, comes at lower price than Apple's offerings. And if you want something roaring with computing and graphics power, you won't have to break the bank like you would with a Mac.

The ecosystem

If you use a Windows phone or an Android, don't expect it to work as well with macOS as it does with Windows. Apple tightly integrates iOS with its computer OS and constrains most other platforms. You can't receive SMS, sync app data or even connect your device properly, without third-party software if you don't have an iPhone. And you can definitely forget about iMessage or iCloud. This is not the case with Windows 10.

With Microsoft's "Mobile first" vision, it optimized Windows 10 in order to be fully compatible with Windows 10 Mobile and Android, with iOS support being somewhat less thrilling but still fairly decent. macOS has very poor support for devices not made by Apple, and they often require a lot of third party software in order to work properly. Windows 10 is also way more open. If you want to modify or change something, there is a high possibility that you can if you find the right tools. With macOS, there are indeed ways to modify the system, however, there are far fewer alternatives — many tools are outdated or simply not as powerful as their Windows counterparts.

The focus

Both Microsoft and Apple have their flagship products which are doing great and get a lot of attention from their creators. In the case of Microsoft, it's Windows 10, meanwhile, in the case of Apple, it's the iPhone. Apple is building its ecosystem around the iPhone, not the Mac. Apple has been neglecting the Mac for a very long time now, and while macOS is definitely still receiving significant updates, those are nothing compared to how rapidly iOS is evolving.

This is the exact opposite of Microsoft's situation. Microsoft is focusing on Windows 10 more than ever, delivering huge updates every several months, with big changes and tons of new features. It's all happening while Windows 10 Mobile users are being neglected, just like Mac users. If you want a rapidly evolving desktop OS that is the main focus of a company, macOS may not be the way to go.

The design

macOS was once seen as superior in terms of design, by offering a prettier interface and more organized experience. While beauty is individual, macOS Yosemite brought an all new design which competed with Windows 8, at the time. Windows 8 was still in its early days and a lot of people considered it to be too flat. Windows 10 is way more inconsistent that Windows 8, but it's heading in the right direction. With the announcement of Fluent design, Microsoft has upped their game by miles. A lot of the design elements macOS users used to love, like blur and semi-flat icons are being implemented in Windows 10 and in the near future, Windows 10 may become the preferred platform for people who prefer minimalistic and modern UIs.

The small things

macOS is infamous for its confusing choices in some areas. For example, there is no way to cut and paste files without third-party software. You either have to copy it then delete the original file, or simply drag-n-drop, which maybe isn't your cup of tea. The green button which Windows users call "maximise", has a will of its own. Sometimes, the app goes fullscreen. Sometimes it maximizes and yet another time it awkwardly resizes the window. While macOS may be consistent in its design, it's far from consistent when it comes to behavior.

When you eject a thumb drive (assuming that your Mac has a USB-A port) without unmounting it from the system first, you'll be greeted with a notification telling you that you ejected the drive incorrectly. Windows doesn't do this as the filesystem is configured to be able to unmount the drives without corrupting them. While the method Windows uses is not perfect, as not unmounting the drive before ejecting it can corrupt your files, the method macOS uses has left me with a lot of corrupted drives and annoying notifications.

These things are just the tip of the iceberg. While using macOS, you will find a lot of illogical decisions and inconsistencies.

Conclusion

Windows 10 is evolving at an incredible peace. It takes giant leaps with every update that comes, and the bright future that awaits Windows 10 may be a preferable alternative than the awkward and unknown situation macOS is currently in, and most probably will for the most time. A lot of people still use Macs, a lot of them because they are bound by Apple's in-house applications like Final Cut Pro X, or Logic Pro X, which are not available on Windows and learning to use alternatives like Adobe Premiere Pro would require a lot of time for content creators. Once upon a time, macOS was the way to go if you wanted to do creative work or use a high-quality machine, but this has all changed since then.

Dennis Bednarz

Dennis Bednarz is a former writer for Windows Central and the guy behind ModMy. He has been a recognised member of the Microsoft community for years and owns everything from Lumia phones to Surface PCs. He occasionally likes to rant about Windows Phone and drink tea. You can go ahead and follow him on Twitter at @DennisBednarz

84 Comments
  • Which side of the bed did you wake up on? You normally bang Windows to death.
  • I am all about expressing my opinions in a true way. I won't keep quiet about Windows many issues, but I won't keep shut about macOS either. Every platform has its issues, and as a journalist, my job is to cover them. I would love to use a Windows 10 Mobile device with all the desktop features and mainstream apps on it. I truly want Windows 10 to be a huge success in every departament. However, Microsoft doesn't make it easy to stay with Windows 10 Mobile. At least not for now. I'd be the firwst person to switch back if Microsoft showed true support for their Mobile system because I love it. About Windows 10, I won't deny that I do use macOS. That is because it's more polished. For now. I am waiting for the day Windows 10 has a consistent design. That's really my only gripe with it. I hate the MacBook hardware. I really do. At the moment, my dream device would be a Surface Pro running macOS. This may anger some, but I am simply waiting for the day that macOS is totally inferior in every way. That day will come. Fluent design is coming, and that will be huge for Windows 10. When Fluent design is done, and well executed, then I'll ditch macOS in a heartbeat. This may sound like hypocrisy because I just wrote this article, but really. I still recommend Windows 10 to most people over macOS. Why? Because I am in the huge minority to whom the design consistency is such a big deal.
  • Agreed. I use Android and Win10, and I really like the new Surface hardware, but I think MacOS looks better still and Mac apps are much more polished. I'd like Android to look a bit better too, but I'm pretty happy with my Pixel phone. One problem I have with Win10 is that, to me, the native apps look cartoonish, blocky, simplistic, and boringly similar, with ugly colors. I actually avoid Win10 apps actively and only use Mail for my MSFT account. All my apps are either not from the Store or are Chrome apps. In summary, though, I prefer Android, Windows 10, and Surface HW. I would not recommend Mac products to anyone, unless they have to be in the ecosystem for some reason.
  • I'm using Windows 10 (SP3 and a Desktop) next to my Galaxy s7 and with Cortana on it, it offers nearly the same experience as my old HP Elite x3 does. At the moment their is zero reason for me to go back to Windows Mobile. But, Microsoft, if you're listening? Give me a compelling reason and I'll be back in a heart beat!
  • Windows 10 is very polished brotha! Have you used it lately? And I don't mean several months ago. Windows is much better than MAC and there's so many games I can't play on MACS that it blows me away.
  • I use it daily. It's not as polished as I'd like it to be. Also, CrossOver allows me to play quite a few games.
  • It does sound alot like hypocrisy, or at least totally illogical. You write a whole article detailing why windows is better but you dont currently use it because of some design elements??? I am a graphic designer, in an industry where its tradition at this point to use a mac, and even I dont because of all the reasons you've outlined. You are splitting hairs on another level. As a writer, I dont even know how you manage to work on a mac without a cut/paste operation and if we're really putting all the cards on the table, mac oS doesn't even look good. It's the new windows 95 with It's dated and grey UI it's had forever..
  • Yes, however macOS does have cut/paste functionality.
  • Yes, it sounded very much like hypocrisy, hence my comment, yet I acknowledge your points. Thanks for a great article.
  • Yes. Basically. I can't wait till I get back to Windows 10. Probably around Redstone 3 or 4. Thanks for the read!
  • I agree with everything he said.  MacOS is a terrible POS jumbled OS.   WIndows 10 is much easier to use,  more apps/programs,  more affordable devices (leave that out of it however), just overall more user friendly for sure!
  • Hey Steve! When did you come back to the dark side? Or is that only with Windows Mobile vs iPhone?
  • A couple people apparently did not get the joke.... oh well. Anyways, Steve it was just a surprise to see you sticking up for Windows 10. Last I knew you were upset at Microsoft for Windows 10.
  • He became a 'convert' after the main editor suggested he go play in traffic ;-)
  • Ahhhhh sorry,  no the main editor said no such thing to me.   I do not like window mobile....I LOVE windows 10 after the anniversary update,  and the fact that I could not handle the useless MacOS system.   I do use iphone, and ipad however,  as well as a couple of android devices.   I even own a 950xl for 3d builder use.   I do not have the 950xl activated as a phone,  its basically a 3d scanner in my shop.   
  • after using MacOs for like a month I am back using windows 10...close after the anniversary update.   before that W10 was terrible,  but no were near as bad as MacOS is.   and you say something positive to or about me,  be prepared to get downvoted since the fangirls here have their panties in a bunch since I call out windows 10 mobile for what it does NOT do.....they cannot handle the truth.  Peace out S/M!
  • *pace Absolutely true, mac is being left in the dust quickly as apple focuses almost entirely on ios.
  • Apple has always priced itself out of competition on the desktop. But at the same time macos enjoys adoption rates that Microsoft could only dream about, Microsoft couldn't even force people to use windows 10, 2 years later and the vast majority of Windows users are still using Windows 7. Apple doesn't make sweeping changes to macos, stupid decisions and change for the sake of change are for Microsoft.
  • OSX enjoys adoption rates that Microsoft dreams about? Is that why Apple sells a fraction of the number of computers as their competitors? Is that why Microsoft currently has more Win10 users than all OSX users combined? Just your usual "throw sh** against the wall and see what sticks" attempt to troll. And yet, the facts show otherwise.
  • Adoption rates are "rates", when El Capitan was released it had over 50% adoption within 90 days, 2 years later and windows 10 is struggling with less than 30% adoption.
  • adaption rates are far different than market share or user rate.   That only means that the people using Macs move to the new OS early.  However,  30 percent of windows users is a hell of alot more than 50 percent of Mac users...also,  in the windows user base,  there are many Large companies with hundreds of devices that are running on 7 even xp.  They see no reason to change at the moment.  the 30% is moved alot higher if you take these large companies out of the picture and just use consumer numbers.   See,  microsoft can skew numbers to make it fit their marketing too if they want.
  • WTF! We need a third party software to add cut and paste functionality? Seriously? OMG. I mean where are they living? In 1950s?
  • That is weird.
  • Yep. It's so stupid. I have to use XtraFinder for that. macOS users tend to hide behind drag-n-drop but damn, I don't use drag-n-drop. Why can't we have both like in Windows? For those who prefer drag-n-drop, give it to them. And for those who want CTRL-X/CMD-X give us that. Apple really amazes me with their stupid choices sometimes. (ekhem, ekhem, headphone jack, usb-c, ekhem ekhem)
  • #courage
  • ItJustWorks
  • Really? "It just works" kind of people should not browse windows central. That would be a shame. "it just works" kind of people don't know anything in a Computer except running Photoshop from the dock.
  • You can do CMD+C to copy and then ALT+CMD+V to move files (not the most obvious though) If you want to use the context menu, select copy file and then where you want to move it, if you bring up the context menu and hold down the ALT key, the paste file changes to move file. Again, they just should have had "cut" make like easier.
  • Seriously? Don't write about things u don't know. Cut paste is simple. Use command +C to Cut and Option+Command+V to paste. If you use only Command+V to paste, it will retain the source copy as well i.e. behave like copy and paste. Where as Option + Command + V Moves the file i.e. cut and paste.  And u think you're fit to blog 😂
  • No, the author is wrong, cut and paste has been available for a lot of years. To copy and paste you use Command+V, to cut and paste you use Command+Option+V.
  • Abhi, this guy doesn't know **** about Mac. Don't believe him.
    I've used Windows for like 12 years, I still do in my Office. Switched to MacOS last year for my personal computer and man I can tell you I am not going back to windows. Windows don't stand a chance before the stable and consistent performance of MAC. Wake up time of Mac from sleep is like 2 seconds and the boot time after pressing the power button is like 12~15 seconds.. Windows will take an eternity to get there..
  • 12-15 seconds? Mine takes 5 and it's 4 years old with basic specifications
  • 4 years old but running on a SSD. Windows also takes roughly same time when running on a SSD
  • Bro. I don't want to smash you but please be real you were not using the same level of hardware with windows as you are using in MAC. Apple started using SSDs long before other windows manufacturers that's why the mentality of being fast and fluid. Have you used any windows decent high end laptop. I bet you didn't. Choose a windows laptop that has same level of hardware before contrasting them.
  • This is one of the most fair and honest pros-and-cons comparison I've seen in years. Most are biased towards Apple (yes, I understand this is "Windows Central") and completely overlook the fact that Windows offers a more versatile operating system, with more software, with more features, with a wider range of hardware, all at a cheaper price. When you lay it out like that, I'm not sure why anyone would choose a Mac.
  • You're right bro. When it comes to apple all are like WOW, this is beautiful. But when MS releases surface studio then they can't complaint on specifications then they are smashing it because of the price/usefulness ratio. I mean seriously? These 90% bloggers or youtubers are users of iMAC as their power desktop pc & they can't stand the fact that MS has released far more expensive device than theirs. Because it is MAC uses mentality that they think they are using most premium device in its category. Apple is also the same as their users. Have you noticed the steep pricing on their latest MacBooks? Not they are priced on par with surface book. Just because surface books was around $500 or more expensive than their similarly spec'd MacBook. They are just lame. Nothing else.
  • Waiting for end of support of windows 7
  • Why? Because that is what the vast majority of Windows users are still using?
  • Wow lol
    You forgot to mention all of the horrific things that come with windows 10. Forced updates, so now each and every bad design decision by Microsoft will eventually be forced on you with ZERO recourse. Spyware, no opt-out, unlike macos. Adware, nope none in macos. Store, the mac store seems barely supported by apple anymore and yet it completely demolishes the Microsoft store because it has full-featured vastly superior and more modern programs instead of weak undercutter "apps". MacOS, no "S" version here, no need to purchase a jailbreak from the os creators just to run modern programs.
  • I am probably going to regret responding to you, but here it goes: With as many hacks, malware, viruses, etc out there, I think the forced updates are an excellent idea. Not that long ago there was some type of virus that infected a lot of people, but as long as you had Windows 10 with the automatic updates you were fine. That actually sounds like a good thing than if you did not get the update. What spyware? Are you talking about the data they are using to improve the OS? This has been blown way out of proportion by the media. Most OS's do the exact same thing, including MacOS. And Windows 10 does indeed have an opt-out. What adware? If you are talking about targeted ads based on what you search for that would be either Google or Bing doing that. And for Windows it does have an option in there for it, but you can turn it off. Weak undercutter apps.... wait what were we talking about again? Seriously, what apps are you having issues with? And also Windows 10 you can use the normal 32/64 bit programs? You know? The "S" version is for use primarily by schools. And you don't "jailbreak" it. You turn off the S essentially. Which is rather nice so that you can use 32/64 bit programs. But most "ordinary" customers have no need for them and everything that they need is in the store. It makes sense. Try looking a little closer at things. It's like you read CNN or Newsweek and took everything at face value. You should always question everything you hear or read and learn about it yourself.
  • No reason to regret replying to me, I don't attack people and I only deal in factual information. The developers at MDL routinely update their findings for windows 10 telemetry and its far worse than any os currently out there today. The adware has been reported on by every major tech site, are they all lying? Forced updates could have been a good thing if it wasn't for the constant bad decisions by Microsoft regarding the ui as well as their goals of eventually destroying win32 in the future for no good reason, forced updates means you will have no choice but to submit to these bad decisions. Store "apps" are incredibly weak and underpowered and most normal users avoid them like the plague, pretty crazy watching Microsoft having plans to eventually charge money in the future to jailbreak a "S" version of windows 10 just so a user can run modern win32 programs.
  • Well good to know about the non-attack :) And I apologize if my last line came out like that, I reread it and it does sound a little harsh, so I'm sorry. Do you have a link for the MDL findings? I would be interested in looking at this. From what I have seen, yes, all tech sites are lying/being paranoid. There have been a few bad decisions, but overall it has been positive in my opinion. I actually thought the opposite about the S version. I think it is a great idea because less people need to have the full power of Windows so better to keep them a little more isolated to the store. Do you have any examples of the weak and underpowered apps? I would like to take a look at these as well.
  • https://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/repo-windows-10-telemetry-repos... Unfortunately you'll need to create an account in order to view most things on MDL. The weak, undercutter apps are easily demonstrated, just look at edge, groove, mail then compare to the win32 programs they are trying to eventually replace, ie11, wmp9, outlook express, a vast amount of features and functionality have been lost to these metro apps, visualizations, eq's, rip to MP3 etc, we lost tons of rich html and other formatting with mail and lost so much more with edge I don't even know where to begin. Store apps are no different and usually worse.
  • Those are some pretty old posts. I remember reading where Microsoft changed a lot about the telemetry. And those are from 2015. Anything newer than that by chance? Microsoft listened to feedback and changed it around. And the apps you listed I actually thought were excellent products. Especially Groove. Groove has come such a long way from what it was. I do see where it cannot rip MP3 (I don't think it can rip at all), but who really rips any more other than me? And I rip using Zune, so I still have that option. Mail is excellent as well. It is pretty much exactly like the web interface. Simple, clean, easy to use. If you are looking for more features get the Outlook for Desktop. You do not have to use S. It is not replacing full Windows. And it sounds like you definitely would not want S, so don't get S. And most of the complaints is that apps no longer are metro.... Yours is the first I have seen complaining about metro. Out of curiosity what OS/system did you start on for computing?
  • The mdl post is old but frequently updated, you'll need to go to the more recent posts to see the more recent findings.
    But really Microsoft hasn't changed much if anything when it comes to the data collection itself, they only repackaged the privacy controls (or lack of) that were already there.
  • Then don't use S in the first place.  I see no reason why a rational thinking person with your concerns would go that route.  Then you don't have to worry about paying $49 to "jailbreak" the OS.   Microsoft will eventually transition all of their apps over to UWP/Modern anyway.  There won't be any Win32 versions of Office in the future.  No Win32 Outlook.  No Win32 OneDrive.  No Win32 anything from Microsoft.  The only Win32 apps in the future are going to be third party apps. Windows 10 S is a response to Google Chromebook.  No more, no less.  If you aren't in the market for that type of functionality don't worry about it until you are in the position where you have no other option.  And it will be several years before that happens, plus you'll still have the option to use third party Win32 apps.  There will always be a market for Win32 apps; and if Microsoft refuses to support that option in the future people will just go to Linux or Mac OS.  Apple, clearly, has shown no signs of doing anything like what Microsoft is doing with WIndows 10 so you'll always have that option if you don't like what else is out there. And forced updates are a good thing, because the average person that uses Windows doesn't know much about updates and why they are important, particularly when those updates plug security holes in the operating system.  The only issue I've ever had is that Creators Update seems to have broken Edge, as it force closes after a few seconds, but I don't use Edge anyway so I see that as more of an inconvenience than anything. 
  • Don't attack people? B.S. You attack people all the time, and then when it is turned back onto you whine about how unfair everyone is towards you. It is your usual m.o. You are the dime a dozen troll, who throws a temper tantrum when anyone dares to "think different."
  • Links?
  • I don't need to prove anything to you. You have made it overly clear your intentions, I have been on the receiving end of your attacks, and then you whine and complain when you receive what you do. As a person who has been on the receiving end of your attacks, and then seeing first hand how you go running to the admins demanding a ban for those who dare challenge you, I don't need to provide a link to anything. Your trolling here on this site shows exactly what kind of person you are, and no other evidence is necessary. Besides, I refuse to go to the site that those arguments used to happen.
  • " Most OS's do the exact same thing, including MacOS. " Can you cite any source for this? Where Apple wants to collect telemetry they ask first, if the user chooses not to opt-in no data is collected. This is very different from Windows 10.
  • How about this, here are the links for both Microsoft and Apple privacy. https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement https://www.apple.com/privacy/ The Apple link is a little harder to navigate. But they look pretty similar to me. The only difference is that Apple has have that are automatically opted in and half that aren't. But they both allow you to opt out.
  • Forced updates: This is probably the best thing MSFT has done in years. People always download viruses from the web then complain that Windows is insecure. Well, no ****. You haven't updated it in years. Spyware: Most of the users got the OS for free. Microsoft needs to take that cost back somehow. Every piece of software spies on you nowadays. Use Kali Linux and Tor Browser if you want no spyware. Adware: Not in macOS? I keep getting notifications to use Apple's software instead of things like Opera or Spotify. The Mac App store is a bad joke compared to the Windows 10 Store (which is also a joke but not as bad). This speaks for itself. macOS loves to prevent you from running "unauthorised software".
  • Jailbreak. Lol, you're funny. Except no, you're really not.
  • I agree the Mac App Store is very nice. Visuals are important to me, but not so important to a lot of other people. I like the way Mac apps look. Still, I use Win10, Android (Pixel phone), and Chrome and am happy and productive with that combination.
  • On my Windows computers: I don't have forced updates. I the only "ad" I have is the live tile for the store. I have full featured apps such as Office 365 (funny, you were complaining that there was "full featured" programs on the Windows store just a couple days ago). On my Apple devices: I have been getting a popup once a day every day for months telling me I must update my iPad Mini. I cannot tell iOS that I no longer want that popup, and in fact, there have been times when I say no, I do not want the update but it updates any way. Remember that little notification from Windows that you and your troll friends whined about? It did not block using the device in any way. With iOS it suspends the currently running app and I need to dismiss it to continue with what I was doing. No Adware on Apple devices? Why do I constantly get ads from my iPad and iTouch telling me about Apple Music? That Apple store count will decrease dramatically when they remove all the 32 bit apps. And since data from the analytics companies indicate that 60% of the apps have not been downloaded even once, all those fart apps that inflate the app count will go away causing the count to drop. You think that the apps on the Apple store are more feature rich than apps on the Windows store? Pages is more full-featured than Word? Apple even promoted Microsoft products over their own during one of their media circuses, and they had to drop the price of their apps to $0 and they still can't get as many downloads as Microsoft's software. And Office 365 on the Windows store is a full version, not the stripped down version on iOS. On my personal Mac I get mail from Comcast telling me that there is something from that Mac is pinging the network. I clean it, and then a few monts later I get another email telling me my Mac is pinging the network. Meaning I repeatedly am getting malware - and the mail contains information specifically calling out my Mac. Odd thing is, I never get a notification that my PC is doing something wrong. You are just throwing out you mis-informed, completely incorrect, trolling rhetoric, and not offering anything that contains the truth. Just the usual trolling that you do.
  • The last point is you just trying to make Apple look cool. Win 10 S isn't even a thing barring the Surface Laptop. Jesus!
  • The number one reason I'd *still* buy a Macbook Pro:  you can run both MacOS *and* Windows 10 on it.....at the same time!
  • That's sort of enforced by Apple though. It's not anything special about MacBook hardware. Most decent PC hardware would run MacOS if Apple would release/license it. Still, a plus for Macs.  
  • Never cared for Apple machines or OS. I have always felt that MS had more to offer. Between Windows, Office, and the variety of hardware available.
  • I bootcamp, so it's nice to have both systems. Mission Control/Expose and Having Multiple screens works a lot better on MacOS than Windows.  For example, in Windows 10, Desktop 1 on your main screen is always attached to Desktop 1 on the second screen, you can't mix and match like you can with MacOS.  Plus drag and drop through applications and even in one application (I'm look at you Outlook) can be a pain.  In Outlook, I can grab a bunch of files, go to the left navigation pain a scroll down without all the files dropping into some folder.  That's annoying. I enjoy both OSs, but Windows sometimes hampers my workflow.  Anyway, use what you like.
  • The last Mac I used consistently was in 2007 and it was super frustrating to use then and i dont expect it to have changed much. Windows has always been the better choice when it comes to features, software, hardware and price. Ive been using Windows for over 25 years and not about to stop because Apple released an overpriced desk decoration that all the 'cool' people in MSM think is hawt.
  • I use Parallels, to run Windows on a Macbook....inside of a window, like any other application.   The main decision Mac owners have to make, when they want to run Windows is if they should buy Windows 10, or a copy of Windows 7, which can still be purchased from most electronics retailers.
  • Also, a note.  While I do admit it's more convoluted to Windows, cut/paste in MacOS it's still there.  Command+C and then Command+Control V will do a cut/paste.  But there's no 3rd party app needed.
  • And that is part of the problem. In Mac there is a way to do things with the mouse, there are ways to do things with the keyboard, and the intersection of those two sets is relatively small. If something like that is hidden, how would a general user know how to do it?
  • EDIT: Ah, I misread what you said.  Sorry.    
  • While I agree with this article, Windows is the choice for me over macOS. The real battleground is in mobile, and that's where Windows is only doing marginally at best. I'm including Tablet forms factors to help out Windows in this case. If Google is ever able to turn the corner on bringing Android Apps to the desktop via Chrome OS or some version of Android optimized for bigger screens, I fear it will be too late for Microsoft and Windows.
  • crappy command keyboard controls instead of easy point and click/touch controls....MacOS is terriable at user friendly use!
  • I use a Mac Pro and a Mac Mini for work, and it is stunning how it is completely useless to a power user. Every day I need to deal with how if you buy a new Mac, you cannot roll it back to an earlier version. We build older versions of our product to apply bug fixes, and therefore we need to build on an earlier version of OSX. Every once in a while we have one of those Macs die on us, either hardware wise or some stupid OSX bug (like how they changed the service that synced the time, which didn't work unless you did something with sudo, time would drift which would cause cert signing to fail), and so we need to add a new Mac to the build farm. Problem is that you cannot install an older version of OSX on those new machines, it is blocked in the firmware. The fix for it - with each new Mac released, we buy a stack of them and put them in a warehouse in case a Mac dies. And, of course, that inflates Apple sales, not by much but still... And then there is the password problem. I change my network password every 90 days for compliance. And then you need to remember the password before for the OSX keychain. For the Mac Mini I need to keep track of passwords going back years. I once started calendar by mistake. And now every time I log in I get a dozen password prompts, cancel just asks me again, and I need to enter a password from years ago to make that dialog go away. And then there is the keyboard/mouse problem from years ago. Where there are a good number of operations that are only available from the keyboard, some that are only available using the mouse. And if you are primarily a keyboard user you don't get to use the mouse items, and if you are primarily a mouse user, you don't have access to the keyboard specific items. Otherwise, you are moving your hand back and forth from keyboard to mouse to do the most basic of things - and Apple fans complain about needing to move your hand to touch the screen for completely optional items. I could go on and on about the stupid things that Apple does, but I assume that I have caused enough Apple fans to be thrown into a fury for daring to write these few items.
  • One of my macs has an os bug now,  it won't let me install OSX again,  I cannot log into the app store,  etc.   Its just there now.  I think im going to run over it with my truck.    
  • Thanks for this great piece of opinion Dennis. Though everyone is subject to their own opinion and decision, this piece of article is very professional and very easy to get the message.
    Cheers~
  • Use Mac everyday at work.  It's a fine OS.  No need to bash it.  But as a Windows user at home, those small things sure do add up fast.  Like the limited cut/paste from the desktop.  Highlighting multiple items and then using Get Info/Quick Look vs Properties.  The Dock vs the Taskbar.  It all adds up and gets annoying fast.  You either learn to deal, find workarounds, or you just prefer OSX.
  • Android + Windows is the best combo, Sony for mobile hardware and Dell for laptop hardware, that is my choice and has worked me well.  I'm still saving money to upgrade my 1TB hybrid drive with a 512GB SSD drive and add additional 8GB of RAM to my laptop, and my Android IP68 Sony M4 Aqua phone is doing great still in 2017, I'm not planning to purchase a new phone this year.
  • Even a lot of Mac users prefer to install Windows rather than use OSX.
  • Nope, at least not for me. Last year in a moment of weakness, I feared that Apple had abandoned the Mac - it was time for a new machine so I picked up a Dell XPS 15 (the "15-inch MacBook Pro Killer" as many reviewers claimed). Initially I thought it was a great machine, until a combination of Windows 10 and Dell issues rose up to remind me just what makes the Mac experience so great: reliability. First off, my XPS 15 has been plagued with broken BIOS updates. It's as though Dell rolls them out without any testing whatsoever. The first update dropped the available LCD brightness levels from 20 to about 5. The next BIOS update fixed that one but introduced Thunderbolt issues. The update after that fixed everything, but the next broke compatibility with the onboard Intel graphics and caused a Intel driver crash loop on every reboot. On my Mac, I may get an occasional funky update from Apple (usually on a .0 OS release), but nothing like what I've experienced with the XPS 15. As for Windows 10 itself: I love the look, the design, and most of the functionality. I don't love the intrusive ads (yes, you can turn them off). I don't like the limited functionality of the built-in mail and calendaring apps (really, who wants to be able to search all their mail? That's crazy!). The Linux for Windows subsystem is nifty but nowhere near production-ready (although MS hasn't claimed it to be). No matter how much more "productive" I am using things like File Explorer's more advanced cut & paste functionality, all those productivity gains go flying out the window when Windows 10 decides to do a software update as I'm shutting down the machine on my way to catch a bus/train/plane/etc. Also: general Windows oddness is still a thing. Like yesterday, working on my Surface Pro (retired the Dell XPS 15) - suddenly the app I'm using stopped responding. For the matter, so did the whole OS. After much futzing around, decided to do a hard reboot and everything came back up properly... with the exception of the wifi network adapter which showed up in Device Manager but was otherwise not responding. No amount of shutdowns or reboots would bring it back. Went into Device Manager and toggled the enable/disable state a few times, followed by another reboot, and finally it started working again. In my world, reliability counts more than shiny features and a nice paintjob. MacOS isn't perfect but it's Unix-based and that reliability makes up for a *lot*.
  • Bought a Surface 3 Pro with an i7 CPU & 16mb of ram last December. I waited for Apple to build a tablet with the Mac OS but Tom Cook & company don't have the courage to do it so I made the switch. It's been great. I use it for everything, work, content watching, even some gaming. It's fast, the build quality is very good, & there are plenty of quality accessories to dress up your Surface and way you want. Windows 10 has been very solid for me. I'm not an "app" person so to be able to run complete computer programs is a positive not a negative. The Surface is a real tablet PC. It's a worthwhile purchase.
  • Thanks for sharing your experience.
  • The comments are typical of the decades-long "My OS can beat up your OS" food fight. I use Windows for the ecosystem. I don't much care about polish when I'm in a program. I don't see it then. Both OSs are quite usable but like I said, I am all about the ecosystem. And prices.
  • i do not want a Ecosystem, I just want an Os i can usewithout being spied on having stgupid updates that adds nothing.  
  • The point of this article that disappoint me its that we already know where Windows 10 Mobile its going and right now you can even answer calls on Mac OS if you have an iPhone....what's my point exactly? In terms of desktop OS complementing with mobile OS its pretty clear that apple its unmatched by Microsoft with Windows 10 Mobile...They didn't even tried to compete with the integration between Mac OS and iOS, at least thats my opinion. I hope that Microsoft change it way to threat Windows 10 Mobile like its not important...But without a Mobile OS OneCore will never be what Microsoft have promised.
  • the reason people use Final Cut Pro X, or Logic Pro X is because they are good software  and they are not Adobe either, which is a good thing. i used final cut a couple   years back and i was amazed how good it is, how polished the software is and even on a machine that is not really what you call high powered it runs very smoothly indeed, not like prmeier, whihc to be honest is a resource hungry bit of junk. i used  sony Vegas on my Pc, which while not up to final cut standards is flipping good, b ut lately i am mucking around with hitfilm express, whihc is great certainly for a fre bit of software, but still lacks something.  As for Logic pro, i know a couple of people who uses it, one of them used to use  Pc software and said that nothing on the Pc touches it. As for the Os, if i wanted my Pc to act like Mac Os and i wanted it to do the same things as Mac Os, i would have got a Mac, all this clolud rubbish and want you to log your computer into into their servers all the time is total rubbish. the apps that comes on Windows 10, why do I need a Xbox app when I do not even have an Xbox? Yet i can not remove it via normal means. All the things i did not like about OSx or Mac Os now as it is called is coming to Windows. too much spying and worrying about all the rubbish apps they want to give us and yet they do nto thinkg about the important stuff. I hate Windows 10,  I only installed it on this machine because windows 8 will not run on it since i updated.    
  • Oh so now you want people to pick Windows over mac but wait your still trying to get windows phone users to pick apple ??? ******* hypocrites
  • " Windows 10 is evolving at an incredible peace."  :-)  Peace be with you! Nice little typo.
  • I did software development on a full spec. Mac a few years ago. One of the worst experiences I've had. To start with, the bloody thing crashed at least every week. 
  • OSX does have cut/paste functionality. It was one of the best find for me last year 😊